Utilization of hydraulic energy



Nov. 4, 1930. F. I AWAczEczKl l`,'780,490

UTILIZATION OF HYDRAULIC ENERGY original File'd Aug. 24, 1921 vAT'mRNEY vENToR r1.5 the initialcost-wouldbe so/hi'ghthat it would ENAN-ZfLAWAOyzEcK,

Patented Nov. 4, 1930 i1 'NAcrIINnRY com?oI ,;si'IfIoN, or NEWYORK, N. YA.; A coRroRATIoN or VIRGINIA ufrILIzATIoN ONIIYDIQAULICNNERGYH "i invention relates? to the4 utilizaticiii' f low"headk hydraulic energy.` utilizing such VNlow head energy, very k utilized f in power plants,

" muchy power mightybe nia'de'- available, iii low head plants would have avery low velocity andtherefore be i. verycumbersoine andph'eavy, likewtheir generators.

yOwing tothe considerable space required and the high cost of sucha plant,

i power.

Heretoioregit' has generally :been atternptf ed to increase theA Ehead fbyl constructing "along vthe-riverahcanalioii very smallslope and malingthis canal sog`long," fthat the dif-` ference between the levels of the riverandk 4 the canal,y that is, the head, is such that .it is sive, he moreso, the longer sections of damsand the .i7 this inininiuln of initial cost by utilizing the possiblento buildaturbine plant to advan tagggegjfV Such' acanal is, however, very eXpen-' itis, aswith the slope obtained they heightlof ivk clinesholding the canal are. increased; j Such a .plant is onlyffpracticable if the initialcostiperH. P. .are a ininiinurnfora y given length,O 'canal.l x; The ypower plant' will yield,l a higher total output with i'ncrea's-V e inghead sdthat therf'initial costl per'H;

will befreduced'i'n `proportion. o

I suc'ceedv'n still'consderably reducing low heads which,` are:V obtained in connection i. with `thelocks constructed in -theriver bed for navigation purposes.

I achievef'this `directlyf connecting a lgowy pressurejturbine rwhichis operated byl'thevsrnall head Lof 'a ute suchpunitsof Ylow pressure turbines Vand rotarypurnps along ythe entire length of a lockt orfdaIn, so that the entire quantity of water :u supplied 4bythe iriver is ,utilized in f alle@ Water Supplied' brille rumrsis oFivIUNIcrI, GERIJIANY, nssIGNoIp 'ro woitrIIINe'roN PUNII AND .preferably `lcoilducted the high pressure i; l

power plantgby one or more pressure` plpesj y The y turbines and-generators of Vthegpower theinitial lcost being lessffthan withthe most favourable e .plant ,used.. in connectionk witha canal., forthe'costsof themeans for transformlngthe head .according to my invention u are farffromashigh as those of the canals Vin ordinary power plants; Moreover, such a canal" icould lnever attain y the highv head connected with low Ipressure turbinesaccording to my invention, The dam, ,which must Vwhic'his producedby `the vpumps which are j Y bebuilt ingany caseasgit is indispensable for the l'lock and: consequently for navigation, can f* be constructed lat Inuch less costsk owing Vvto. c.

V navigation,- and'- for the utilization-` l of" the power plants VIn e contradistinction to ajplant comprising a canal which could ibe, utilized rranged V1 y"vithinjt,eas compared'with Aa solid v dam extndlng'iacrosslthe entire river, the

orthepurpose onavigationonlywith conf` siderable difficulties and'costsbut will never carry the entire quantityof, the river water, f i

Aas itis imperativethata certain `quantity of water, whichy is-often considerable, should ren'ain y in .the ollriver bed. This quantity' nieansarloss inthe total eiiiciency of the canal plant'which ismuoh. higher .than the losses of eiiciencyfoccasionedby the -energylosses v of the l punipsfaccorfdingto invention.' The presentil applicato` fs s a my cri-pending application yfor v-utilization of Vhydraulic. energy, le'd AugustQt, 192], Serial YNo'4943893.-L

y `VgVith,these objects in view, /thevvinvention 'consists in various lfeatures of construction and, combinationoif parts, [which will. begfirst describedin connection'with the faccorlpan'y` ing 'drawings, showing 'a structurel orthe division of 7 ,pressureturbinesand,centrifugal -v Y vutilizationof hydraulic energy of the pre` ferred form embodying the invention, and the features forming the inventionwill 'be specifically pointed outxin the claims.

l Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of alowpressure turbine and rotarypump come. bmed therewith, the whole being-arranged' 11n adam, andv` Fig. 2 is a diagram of the power plant.;k a Preferably the units arefarranged directly within ta dam lll-and distributed close toone another across tlieentires'length of the dam.,

The shaft 11 of the unit is preferablylixed 15 of the pump runner. A chamber 17 kbetween the turbine andthe pump is sealed and kept'filled with air in orderto act as afloat.

'Preferably the volume vof said chamber'is such, that .the entire'runner body is balanced its buoyancy. This greatly 'reduces theV stress on the bearings andV prolongs their life.

The water 'forrthe pumps 16, or for the first pump of the plant, if a plurality of pumps are rconnected'in series,.passes.a sieve 18 and' gets .to .the central opening 19S of the pump the, blades of which are `marked V1,6. The

' pump forces the water intoV a spiralA casing 20,7which, like the adjacent guidinglvanes 21 for the turbine 13, is inserted in .the dam V10.. The pump chamber 22 is closed by. a: cover 23 'attheinlet side.v .Whenthis Vcove-r is removed, the` -rotary Vpart ofthe unit '.can be removed fromthe stationary shaft 11. L

' The inclined arrangement of the shaftinV the example illustrated renders it possible to provideV inclined guide rails for the revolving part ofthe unit, so that it can be raised above the water. Byarrangingthe shaft 11 y atan angle and parallel to thegwater current,

Y second, third, etc. pump 28,29, etc.

' the resistancewhich. the unit opposes to the flow of water, is greatly reduced. VObviously the section of the dam favours a suitablearrangement Vof the supply passages 24: to the turbines and only a very short, comparatively straight tail race 25 is required.Y j Y V,f

The water collected'V in the spiral Ycasing 2O of the pump 16 is' now supplied under high pressure to a pipe'26 which conveys it, either immediately .to the power plant ,27 or to f.a (Fig. 2) Instead of connecting all the pumps in series,

' so that the waterdischarged Yby one pump enters theV suction chamber of the vnext pump, the pumps of a plurality of low press-ure units may Vbe `connected in seriesand the, water under pressure which is'sup'plied by `these groups 'ofunits 3() or 31respectivelypmay be supplied to the powerpjlant 27 through separate pipes 32 andV 33` that is,"inparallel-,

so that the water jetssupplied by these groups .turbineV plants arranged in a plurality of dams in a river can be conveyed to a common power plant27, either in series or, as indicated in Fig. 2 by combining the water flowing at highpressure vin the pipes 32 and 33 with high pressure pump water from a plantr in adam farther down the-river which 1s In the same manner, the

Supplied to the'fpowergplant k27 through a pipe 34. Y

In order to utilize also .the high Water levels f by means of low pressure turbines, preferably n units 13,5 `are V.arrangedV in the dam which are idleunder normal conditions Ybut which cooperate units 30, 31 atr high water. Y .the pumps fof this group 35 are connected 1n series with the pumps fornormal water levels, y groups 30,31) :the loss of head produced by the high water level may be balanced, so that the pressure lin the pipes 32, 33 or 3 4 is approximately constant at all times. In any case, av regulation of the pressure in the water supplied to'a poweri plant can be effected without anyV diliiculty byv connecting the pumps of the head transformers -in parallel orV in series. .y

In a plant according to my. invention the VWater which is supplied to the power plant 27 through pipes 32 and 33, respectively, can be under so highxa pressure, vthat it is possible to utilize itin acomparatively cheap and Vrapidly rotatingrPelton turbine 36,`which is directlycoupled with a comparativejlyV small generator `3 Y l Y i j It will lbe understood vthat the invention "is not to be limited to the specific construction or y arrangement .of parts ,shown but that these maybe modified widely within the'invention vdefined bythe claims.V l What is claimed is: Y Y

1.'In a .hydraulic power plant, a dam, a

low,v pressure turbine, a rotaryzpump, saidv pumpnand turbine Vconnected to form a unit loca-ted in the dam, said rotary pumpV and turbine being disposed in the Ydam to provide va water passageaboutthe pump tothe vanes `.of the'l .turbine runner, and a float forming chamber between said pump andpturbine ,for balancing the pump :and turbine :unitl and reducing-bearing'stressv in order tofurthernGraseffh Pressure. 2' In@ hydraullc power-plant ai dam hav i kYing a water passage therethrough, a low pressure turbine including a runner, a rotary VVpump' including a runner, said turbine and ing inclined and parallel to the water' current,`

and said unit having .afloatrforming chamber `therein between saidV pump and turbine for balancing pump and turbine unit and reduc-l ing bearing stress.

3. In a hydraulic power plant,va dam having a Water passage therethrough, a loW pres- Y sure-turbine including a runner, a rotary pump. including a runner, said turbine and pump being combined toform a unit located lless than the diameter ofthel Water passage, ak

in saidWater passage and disposed'to providel Y a Waterpassage aboutthe pump to the Vanes.

of the turbine runner, said turbine runner having a float forming chamber therein be'-` tweenfsaid pump and turbinek for balancing the pump vand turbine unit.

i 4. In a hydraulic power plant, a dam hav,- inga Water passage therethrough, a rotary pump positioned at ythe entrance of saidwater assage and having its maximum diameter shaft for said pump extending parallel to the l ed on said shaft rotated by the Water iowing pastsaid pump Jfor operating the pump, and afloat chamber Y Water current, a

inwardly ofthe pump and about said shaft betweeny said pump and turbine for balancing the pump and turbine asf sembly and reducing bearing stress.

" FRANZ LAWACZECK.

"fsu,

10W pressure turbine mount-f 'y 

